Wish You Were Here
by IchBinAufKurs
Summary: Goku wants things to go back to the way they were when grandpa was still alive, but that wouldn't be easy. #surrealism #nostalgia #saiyantail #witty #metaphorical #R


**Blue salt.**

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It was hard to find time to stop and reflect on his grandpa with all the commotion going on in his life, but now that things had gone back to the way they were, he wanted to spend the day like his grandpa would.

It was really bizarre. He used to speak to him every morning, but that habit seemed to have died out a long time ago. He wasn't sure if the reason he stopped was because he'd learned that he was actually talking to a dragon ball, if he hadn't had time, or if he had finally come to terms with his death. What he did know was that it was time for him to pay his respects.

With that in mind, he walked to the lake where they used to catch fish and stripped down to nothing but his wristbands. He sat by the edge, dipping his tail in the stream of water as he waited for his prey.

His grandpa caught fish in the traditional way, so he was tempted to follow his example, but this was the way he fished back in the day and he knew that if his grandpa could, he would enjoy fishing like this too.

He recalled the moment he caught his first fish. It wasn't anywhere as big as the fish his grandfather had caught that day, but he remembered feeling pride in his catch. He smiled at that memory, feeling a slight change in the water's stream followed by a sharp bite on his tail. He screamed at the top of his lungs, jumping up in pain as he held his tail in his hand. He blew cold air on the bite as he jumped up and down in place.

He spent the rest of the day fishing and gathering wood so that when the dusk came he could cook the fish over an open flame. He thought about inviting someone over, but that would ruin the illusion of spending time with his grandpa, so he decided against it.

He listened to the crackling sound of the fire as he looked up at the blood-red sky, watching the moon as it appeared across the horizon. And for the first time in his life, he felt small, helpless, and insignificant. He knew that no matter how much he wanted to, he would never be able to enjoy the view of the full moon, not while he had his Saiyan tail. He learned that the hard way; watching as Gohan transformed into a Great Ape, watching helplessly as he had his tail cut off. With his fair amount of strange nights of waking up naked in random places only to find his tail missing, it was clear to him he had suffered fates like that too, so now he knew better than to be outside on the night of a full moon.

He had always dreamt of the day he'd get his tail back. No matter how weak and vulnerable it would make him in battle if someone were to grab it, he only valued it more. It was part of who he was, a Saiyan. One of the few who still lived and he took pride in it. He was attached to it both literally and sentimentally. It reminded him of the fun times when he was still young. He remembered thinking all boys used to have one. He even remembered freaking out Bulma with it. It reminded him of the time his grandpa accidentally cut it off during training practice. Needless to say, that experience made him feel devastated and incomplete. The anger he felt and the anger he showed at the time were two completely different things. He was so angry he wanted to run away, but no matter how much he missed his tail, there was nothing he could do to get it back. It was only now that he had the chance to preserve this fundamental part of himself and extend it to his adulthood for the first time.

He looked at the bite mark on his tail. He had forgotten how sensitive it was. He would have to train it to the point where pulling it off would be impossible. He questioned if that was even possible, but as he gazed at the quarter moon he knew keeping his tail was a risk he was willing to take.

He took a bite of the recently cooked fish. The flavor reminded him of his grandpa's cooking. He didn't know if it was the fish in the area, the way it was cooked, or a mixture of both, but it was almost as if grandpa Gohan was sitting with him next to the fire. It was only when he headed back to the house that he felt a hint of emptiness hit him. The absence of the four-star dragon ball ruined his mood.

Disappointed, he decided to try another one of his grandpa's favorite activities, so he headed towards to the beach. Flying would've been faster, but he wanted things to be as close to back then as possible, so he walked. Once there he was met by an empty shore. The nighttime emptiness encompassed his feelings of alienation even further, so he tried to picture strangers playing there during the day. His subconscious pictured his grandpa checking out some of the young women prancing around in their skimpy little bikinis, making the moment more believable.

He walked towards the shore and into the water, submerging himself up to his waist. He felt the tide as it went in and out. Its movements seemed to be getting slower, but time seemed to be going faster. He could see the speed of the sunrise getting faster with every passing second as the water slowly turned solid. Confused, he ran his hand through the solid water, feeling what appeared to be blue sand falling through his fingers. He struggled to get out and headed ashore.

With the blink of an eye, it was dark again. He was no longer walking on water, but on dry land with dry clothes.

He tried to put the pieces of that vision together and decided that he should go look for the four-star dragon ball, but first he needed to go see a close friend.

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**Author's Note: As for Goku's tail, I figured that if his skin can't be penetrated by bullets, then his tail could most certainly be strengthened to the point where it couldn't be pulled off. Cut off? Maybe. Pulled off? No. Oh, and I haven't actually seen the show in a really long time, but I hope this was okay. The next chapter will actually have dialogue.**


End file.
